Using Positive Psychology to boost Resilience – Part 1

So you have checked out my tips for having a good night’s sleep and you still aren’t sleeping well, so what can you do? First remember that we are very resilient and our bodies are built to cope with the odd poor night’s sleep.  We have an inbuilt ability to deviate from the “normal” pattern of sleeping which can be a big advantage in today’s demanding world. Napping If you imagine your cave man ancestors, with predators lurking around it wouldn’t always be possible to find a nice comfortable cave and sleep for 7 or 8 hours!  There is evidence that hunter-gatherers slept in short bursts of time throughout the day.    This sleep pattern is still around today in babies and young children.   In 2002, Ellen MacArthur competed in the Vendee Glob and set a new world record for fastest circumnavigation of the globe as a solo sailor.  During this 72 day race she had 385 naps the longest of which lasted 35 minutes.  So if you don’t have time for a long sleep or aren’t sleeping well, try napping! Keep your perspective Research has shown that people with SAD or depression often spend more time in bed, but not actually sleeping — leading to misconceptions about how much they sleep.  So while I would not recommend watching the clock – as it only makes people more concerned about not sleeping, it is useful to examine your thoughts about sleep.  For most people not being able to sleep properly is a temporary setback—uncomfortable and mildly debilitating, yes—but remember you WILL sleep again. Insomnia Insomnia is usually a symptom, typically secondary to something else. It is best characterized as the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or waking too early in the morning. These types of sleep disruptions are often indicators of other medical or psychological problems, such as sleep disorders or depression and anxiety.   Insomnia symptoms that last longer than 30 days are usually identified as “chronic” or severe. Treatments for Insomnia Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, has become widely used to treat many symptoms of insomnia and is especially useful for relieving chronic or severe insomnia symptoms.  Alternative therapies such as melatonin, valerian, acupuncture and other holistic or compliment treatments including reflexology are also being used for insomnia.

I am very lucky that despite having many digestive issues, I haven't had heartburn.  However, I am aware as we go into the holiday sesaon, when people go on holiday their diets change so your chances of getting heartburn increases. Heartburn, which is a symptom of acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when stomach acid moves up into your esophagus. It can bring a lot of discomfort to those who experience it. It may also come with other symptoms, such as sore throat, long-term cough and voice hoarseness. 1. Use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) While this is not recommended as a regular solution, it may come in handy whenever you're experiencing extreme pain due to heartburn. Simply dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda in one-half cup of water and drink it. This will help neutralize stomach acid and ease the burning sensation heartburn brings. 2. Chamomile Tea Try drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime, and see if it can help alleviate heartburn. Chamomile can help soothe inflammation and help you sleep better. References https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314932.php https://www.spandidos-publications.com/mmr/3/6/895

In my previous post I said that the activity you do to chill out doesn't matter it you just need to enjoy it and it absorbs you. So why not consider paying video games, yes video games.  If you ask any gamer, who enjoys playing them and they will tell you it help them relax or de-stress.  I know this may sound unlikey.  However that is scientific research to support the idea that regularly playing video games can help people unwind an dimprove their ability to handle everyday stress. In 2010 Associate Professor Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson of the Texas A&M Public Research Facility demonstrated that both men and women who play violent video games long-term seem to be able to adopt mental skills to handle stress, become less depressed and get less hostile during stressful tasks.  In 2014 reserarchers from University College London  found that people who played video games after work experienced faster recovery from work related stress. While there are a number of video games on the market which are specifically aimed at helping people unwind and manage stress, it seems that almost any form of game playing will do the trick.  Spending half an hour each day on a video console could be be as effective as going to the gym for helping you “chill out” at the end of a busy day. References http://www.christopherjferguson.com/hitman.pdf http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1418103/